Offender on nightly curfew found by police in pub at 3am

Offender on nightly curfew found by police in pub at 3am

Peter Hardwick
Journalist
Peter started in 1976 as apprentice typesetter/comp and has 32 years with The Chronicle in three stints (in between working/holidays in UK/Europe, Brisbane and Melbourne). Entered editorial from comp room in 1996.

A TEENAGER who was subject to a nightly curfew as part of his bail conditions was found by police inside a Toowoomba hotel after 3am, the city's Magistrates Court has been told.

Nineteen-year-old Bradley Robert Binge had been spotted by two police officers doing a walk-through at The Southern Hotel on Ruthven Street south about 3.45am Thursday.

His identity confirmed, police conducted a pat-down search of the teenager which turned up a 10cm bladed fold-up knife which he said he kept for protection and a needle and syringe in his bumbag, police prosecutor Nicola Prince told Toowoomba Magistrates Court.

Having spent the five hours since his arrest in the custody of the watch house, Binge appeared in the court dock to plead guilty to charges of possessing a knife in a public place, failing to take reasonable care and precautions in respect to a syringe and needle, and breaching a condition of bail by breaking curfew.

His solicitor Joe Millican told the court his client admitted to having made a "dumb mistake" by being out at the hotel in breach of his bail but it had been "hammered home to him in the watch house" that he had to abide by his nightly curfew.

His client instructed the syringe was not his and that a mate had given him the syringe earlier in the night to keep for him and he had placed it in his bumbag, he said.

The teen claimed he had the knife for protection as he had been assaulted two weeks' ago and he had been fearful for his safety, Mr Millican said.

His client was on Newstart but looking for work, he submitted.

Magistrate Graham Lee noted the teenager had received fines for similar offending in the past but told Binge "I think you're beyond fines".

Mr Lee placed Binge on six months probation but, noting his young age and relatively moderate criminal history, ordered the convictions not be recorded.